SR. TRANSMISSION & GENERATION PLANNING ENGINEER (PE)
SpaceX's Starbase launch facilities are the center of SpaceX's plans to revolutionize space travel, serving as our primary site for Starship development and operations. We're seeking a licensed Professional Engineer with extensive experience on large EPC builds of both electrical transmission and generation infrastructure. In this role, you will own utility-scale power projects at Starbase - transmission lines, substations, and generation facilities - advising internal teams, engineering firms, and EPC contractors so designs are constructible, compliant, and ready on the timeline the site requires.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Act as the primary technical owner and reviewer for transmission and generation design packages - plans, specifications, and construction documents - produced by internal teams, engineering firms, and EPC contractors, and confirm they are ready to issue for procurement and construction
- Direct large EPC efforts covering high-voltage transmission (lines, structures, and rights-of-way), transmission substations and switchyards, and generation facilities (plant, balance of plant, and grid interconnection), from concept and studies through detailed design, procurement support, construction, and commissioning
- Develop standardized design criteria, specifications, drawing templates, and review checklists so engineers and consultants produce consistent, constructible, code-compliant documents
- Give project managers and leadership a clear readiness call on design maturity, long-lead equipment, permitting, constructibility, and construction sequencing, and surface schedule risk early
- Own the construction-phase technical interface: respond to RFIs, disposition field changes, direct contractors and vendors on technical issues, and support commissioning through turnover
- Interface with electric utilities, transmission providers, ERCOT processes as applicable, and authorities having jurisdiction on interconnection, routing, permitting, and compliance
- Resolve technical issues across civil, structural, electrical, protection and controls, and mechanical disciplines, and push designs that are safe, reliable, and fast to build
- Stay current on the NESC, NEC, IEEE, NFPA, and Texas utility practice; fold lessons from construction and commissioning back into standards; and mentor engineers while holding consultants and contractors to that same bar
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical or other engineering discipline
- Active Professional Engineer (P.E.) license, with the ability to stamp and certify electrical plans
- 8+ years of experience in electric utility engineering, including technical leadership of design, specification development, and permitting or interconnection
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Extensive, hands-on experience on large EPC builds of both electrical transmission and electrical generation. Transmission experience must include lines and substations at transmission voltage. Generation experience must include utility-scale plant facilities and grid interconnection. Prior work should be at a scale comparable to multi-mile transmission, transmission-voltage substations, and utility-scale generation
- Record of taking those projects through detailed design, equipment specification and procurement support, construction support, and commissioning. Distribution-only work, studies without EPC delivery, or experience in only transmission or only generation does not meet this requirement
- Manager-level experience - for example as a design manager, engineering manager, or project engineering manager - at an engineering or EPC firm hired by electric utilities (investor-owned, municipal, cooperative, or independent power producers) to design and build large-scale transmission and generation systems
- Direct responsibility for transmission at 69 kV and above, including line design and substation or switchyard design (air-insulated and/or gas-insulated)
- Direct responsibility for utility-scale generation and balance of plant, such as simple-cycle or combined-cycle gas plants or other large generation, including interconnection to the transmission system
- ERCOT & MISO interconnection experience and familiarity with Texas and Louisiana coastal design conditions, including high wind, corrosion, and flooding
- Depth in protection and controls, grounding, and substation physical and electrical design, in addition to project leadership
- Proficiency with the tools used to produce and check this work, such as AutoCAD, PLS-CADD or an equivalent line-design package, substation physical design tools, and ETAP, SKM, ASPEN, or similar study software, plus document management systems
- Ability to thrive in ambiguous, high-tempo situations and make decisions with incomplete information while holding a rigorous technical standard
- Passion for space exploration and a willingness to relocate to work in Starbase, Texas, to be at the forefront of humanity's multiplanetary future
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- This is not a remote or hybrid position and will require relocation if not already local to the Brownsville, TX areas
- Position occasionally requires the ability to work extended hours or weekends when needed
- Ability to travel to various locations included but not limited to: Louisiana, Florida, California, Texas
- Ability to travel internationally if required